oxalic acid


noun Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous acid, H2C2O4⋅2H2O, first discovered in the juice of the wood sorrel species of oxalis and obtained by reacting carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide or certain carbohydrates with acids or alkalis: used chiefly for bleaching, as a cleanser, and as a laboratory reagent.

Origin of oxalic acid

First recorded in 1785–95

British Dictionary definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
/ (ɒkˈsælɪk) /

noun

a colourless poisonous crystalline dicarboxylic acid found in many plants: used as a bleach and a cleansing agent for metals. Formula: (COOH) 2 Systematic name: ethanedioic acid

Word Origin for oxalic acid

C18: from French oxalique, from Latin oxalis garden sorrel; see oxalis

Medical definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
[ ŏk-sălĭk ]

n.

A poisonous crystalline organic acid found in many plants and used as an agent in chemical reduction.

Scientific definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
[ ŏk-sălĭk ]

A poisonous, crystalline acid found in a number of plants such as sorrel and the leaf blades of rhubarb. It is used for many industrial purposes, including rust removal and bleaching. Chemical formula: C2H2O4.